Putting It to Work: REEF Data on Cabezon Used by Washington State Agency

By Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., REEF Director of Science

Cabezon. Photo by Steve Lonhart/NOAA.

Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission are currently reviewing existing size limits, bag limits, and fishing season for cabezon in Puget Sound waters. Cabezon are bottomfish that inhabit rocky areas. They can measure up to 30-inches and weigh up to 25 pounds. REEF data from the Puget Sound, representing 11,646 individual survey from 427 sites throughout the region, were used as part of the Commission's review to identify trends in cabezon abundance in Puget Sound. WDFW researcher, Dayv Lowry, conducted the analysis. According to the REEF data, there is a decreasing trend in the frequency of detection of cabezon between 1998 and 2012. This trend is most pronounced in the central Sound from Seattle to Tacoma. The majority (81%) of cabezon sightings in the REEF database are from Edmonds Underwater Park, a long-time marine reserve north of Seattle. At Edmonds, cabezon appear to have decreased sharply since 1998. These findings were included in a report submitted the Commission (report available online here). Earlier this year, the Commission voted to reduce the daily catch limit of cabezon to one fish and prohibit the retention of cabezon measuring less than 18 inches in length. They are currently reviewing the fishing season length and are meeting in June.